Change of Heart

by Jennifer Moore

  One side of his mouth lifted in a smile—whether because he was impressed by her question or he’d won the battle, she didn’t know.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning, Nathaniel pulled into the parking lot Val’s apartment complex shared with a 24-hour convenience store, and he shut off his car. Many of the other buildings on the street had boarded-up windows and realtor signs. A dog barked from a second-story window and trash blew in the street. The atmosphere seemed ominous, even in the bright summer morning. He hoped Val was packed since he wasn’t excited about leaving his car unattended for long in this neighborhood.

  He thought back to the phone conversation he’d had with his friend Jason the previous day. Val wouldn’t agree to anything until he’d secured a promise the MFA job was hers. He had to hand it to her, Valdosta McKinley knew how to negotiate.

  He and Jason had shot the breeze about sports and caseloads until the conversation had a break and he knew his friend was wondering about the reason for his call. “I actually called to speak with Lisa.”

  Jason paused for an instant.

  Nathaniel could almost see his friend’s confused expression.

  “Of course. She’s right here.” The sound of muffled voices came through the line as Jason gave the phone to his wife.

  “Hi, Nathaniel. How are you doing?”

  He heard the sympathy in her voice and realized they’d not talked since Clara’s funeral. “Very well, thank you.”

  “Kids okay?”

  “Yeah, they’re doing really well. I’ve got them up here in Maine for the summer.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful. I wouldn’t mind a vacation myself. How’s that going?”

  He thought she’d put a bit too much excitement into her voice. Maybe the extra enthusiasm about his vacation was intended as a nudge for her husband. “Good. Listen, Lisa, I called because I need a favor.”

  “Oh.”

  He heard a note of apprehension in her voice and didn’t blame her for wondering what he would ask. While he and Jason had maintained a friendship over the years, the relationship had been mostly through professional contacts. He didn’t know Lisa well and thought she must be feeling extremely awkward. But he plunged ahead anyway. “I need a nanny.” He could almost feel her cringe over the phone line.

  “Oh, Nathaniel, you know, I’m not really…”

  “No, I’ve found someone, but the arrangement’s a little complicated.” He thought he heard Lisa exhale in relief and smiled. Getting someone to assume the worst case scenario was always a good strategy. After that, the real circumstance wouldn’t seem so bad. “Her name’s Valdosta McKinley. She was up here to work at a gallery in town—The Venus Gallery, I’m sure you’ve heard of it—anyway, I convinced her instead to work for me. She’s got an Art History degree and is applying for a foreign internship, but she needs some experience working in her field after the summer’s over.” He knew he was misrepresenting the facts—but only slightly.

  “And you told her you could get her a position at the MFA?”

  Lisa didn’t sound impressed, but Nathaniel kept at it. Persuading people to see things in a different light was what he did best. And if that didn’t work, he had another ace up his sleeve. “I think she’ll do a really good job. Like I said, she’s got a degree.”

  “From where?”

  This was the question he’d hoped she wouldn’t ask, because he didn’t have a way to sugarcoat his answer. “A college near her hometown in West Virginia.” He grimaced as he said it, wishing there was a way to make Val’s credentials sound more credible.

  “Is this a joke?”

  The coolness in her tone took him by surprise. Lisa wouldn’t be as easy to convince as he’d thought. “Her degree might not be from the most prestigious school, but she’s very charming and personable and—” he cleared his voice “—the kids and I are having a rough time. I need some help.” He was disgusted he was using the “poor single dad” approach, but he needed this to happen.

  The line was silent for a moment. “I really don’t know if she’d work out, Nathaniel. I mean, I want to help you and the kids and everything, but…” She left the word hanging in the air.

  Time to pull out the big guns. “I heard what you said about getting away. St. Thomas is beautiful this time of year, and my parents’ condo is just sitting there on the beach, empty.”

  She chuckled. “Wow, you’re good.”

  The details—Val’s starting date and the condo reservation—were settled in the next fifteen minutes.

  When Nathaniel had texted Val to tell her the deal was in place, he hadn’t received a response for hours. He assumed she’d slept after her accident. Later that evening, they’d made plans for him to pick her up first thing this morning.

  He walked into the building, up the stairs, and down the dim hallway, locating the brass number 3 on the door and raised his hand to knock.

  Val pulled open the door. “I saw you from the window.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the room behind her. “You’re right on time.” She opened the door farther and dragged out an orange hard-sided suitcase.

  Her luggage was apparently a survivor of the cold war. Nathaniel’s quick glimpse of the space showed a metal-railed bed, a round table with two chairs, a microwave, hot plate, and small fridge. The apartment looked like a drug dealer’s crash pad on a crime drama. He wondered if she were ashamed he’d seen the conditions she was living in. “How are you feeling?” He hoped to give her something neutral to talk about to alleviate any discomfort she might be feeling.

  “Much better. Thanks to pain medicine, a long nap, and of course my nutritious meal.” Val tossed her ponytail to the side as she slung the furry purse over her shoulder. “You can just pull the door shut. It locks on its own, and I left the key inside for the landlord.” She waited for Nathaniel to shut the door. “Hall could use some light, but it’s a nice place, don’t ya think?”

  She acted confident and cheerful, and didn’t seem embarrassed by her circumstance at all. “Is this everything?” Nathaniel waved his hand toward her suitcase.

  “I travel light.” She lifted her shoulders and grinned.

  Her smile brightened the gloomy hallway. Nathaniel was surprised by the change in her appearance from the day before. Without all the makeup, her face looked fresh and healthy. Her hair was pulled back, and instead of enormous, stiff curls, gentle waves hung from her ponytail. Her outfit was another story. Cut-off jean shorts that showed way too much of her legs, and a bright green tank top with a silk-screened silhouette of cowboy boots. He could only imagine what Lisa would say when Val arrived to give tours at the MFA. He reached to take the suitcase.

  Val held onto the handle. “I’m your employee now, Mr. Cavanaugh. You shouldn’t be carrying my luggage.”

  “My mother raised me to be a gentleman.” He gave a small bow, sweeping his hand to the side.

  “Why, you sure do know just what to say to a southern girl.” Her smile grew, exposing dimples in her cheeks. She set down the suitcase, pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, and batted her eyes.

  He wondered how much time had passed since he’d joked like this with someone. How had he missed those dimples the day before? Val was turning out to be nothing like he would have imagined. When Nathaniel lifted her suitcase, he was surprised by how little it weighed. This one bag contained all her clothes, everything she’d brought with her to work in Maine and then to move to Paris? His late wife had packed more for a weekend getaway. Thoughts of Clara cast a pall over his mood, as they always did. He turned and led the way silently outside to his car.

  Luckily, the vehicle was untouched. He loaded the suitcase into the trunk, noticing large cracks in the sides had been duct taped. He hoped she’d purchase better luggage for her international flight. He walked to where Val waited next to the passenger door. The sunlight revealed dark scrapes surrounded by crimson splotches on Val’s leg and elbow. He cringed inside at the sight. The
need to keep her clothing from rubbing against her injuries was probably behind her choice of outfit. Nathaniel unlocked and opened the door.

  Val looked up at the shabby brick building. One side of her mouth lifted in a thoughtful smile. “Funny how something like this would make me sentimental after just a few days.” She stepped behind the car door and pointed up at the window. “This was my first apartment. The first time I didn’t have to share a bed with my little sisters.” She smiled and shrugged. “Well, on to a new adventure, right?”

  Nathaniel considered her words as he walked around the front of the car. The apartment was small and dilapidated, set in a neighborhood where he’d be nervous to walk after dark, and yet she was sad to leave it behind. What did that say about where she’d come from? He truly had no idea what this woman’s life had been like. From small hints she’d given, her childhood could not have been any more different from his own upbringing if she’d been raised on Mars. He slid behind the steering wheel and turned the key.

  “Ya didn’t bring Ruby and Finn?” Val asked.

  He shook his head. He hadn’t known how long loading her things would take, and hadn’t wanted to bring his children into this neighborhood where he didn’t know how well he could keep an eye on them. Not after yesterday. “Mrs. Spencer, the housekeeper, agreed to watch them this morning.”

  “Y’all have a housekeeper, and you need a nanny, too?”

  “Mrs. Spencer cleans the house once a week, and she stops by every other day to deliver groceries and cook some meals.”

  She nodded once and sat up in her seat. “But now you won’t need her anymore.”

  “And why is that?”

  Val snapped her head around and stared with squinted eyes. “Surely for the amount of money y’all are paying me, you don’t expect me to have someone else do my cooking and cleaning. I’m perfectly capable of keeping up a house and feeding a family.”

  “No. I don’t intend for you to do any of that. Your sole responsibility is Ruby and Finn.” Surprise jerked his head backward and he gave her a sideways glance. He thought most women would have preferred to have a housekeeper instead of volunteering to perform the tasks themselves.

  “I imagine they’d help me. Ruby is old enough to sweep a floor, and even Finn could use a dust rag.”

  Nathaniel glanced at her as he turned onto the main road. He shook his head. “They’ll be plenty busy with their summer studies. And of course, productive play time.”

  “Summer studies?” Val folded her arms and tipped her head to the side. “Ruby and Finn? They’re so young.”

  Nathaniel fixed his gaze on the road, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “I take it you’re not familiar with early development coursework.” Perhaps she thought his children should attend public school and end up in a community college in the middle of nowhere. Val was a poster child for the foolishness of that academic pathway. The preparatory academy Ruby attended and Finn would start in a year was one of, if not the actual, best in the country. And competing at that level required a substantial amount of home study during the summer, as well as tutors during the school year.

  “I mean, I’m not telling you how to raise your kids.” Val twisted to face him. “But I think there’s got to be a balance, don’t you? Playtime, learning, and work. Course you want their minds stimulated and for them to feel important and loved, but a satisfaction comes from having responsibility and working hard…”

  Nathaniel’s face was set, and he suspected that was why Val had stopped speaking. He’d not anticipated she’d challenge his parenting style. Not that the opinion of a redneck woman who dressed like a hillbilly contestant on a reality show, and whose child rearing experience came from looking after her brothers and sisters in a trailer, carried much weight.

  “But they’re your children, and you’re my boss. I was just giving my opinion. I’m sorry if y’all were offended.” Val turned back to face the windshield.

  Her voice was softer, but she didn’t sound remorseful in the least. He tightened his fingers on the wheel and counted to ten in his head.

  They rode in silence. Nathaniel drove through the outskirts of Lobster Cove, past grand colorful houses with stained glass and window boxes. The streets were picturesque with well-tended gardens and charming old-fashioned looking street lights. Leaving the residential area behind, the road followed the rocky shoreline along the cliffs. Below them, elegant windjammers, sturdy lobster boats, and tourist ferries shared the harbor.

  He turned the car onto a gravel road lined with trees that nearly touched above them, sending dappled shadows over the ground, and he glanced at Val, wondering what her thoughts were as she watched the scenery through the window. Nathaniel had thought his oldest friend Seth was crazy for moving all the way out here a few years ago, but the moment Nathaniel arrived for a visit, he’d fallen in love with this town and the friendly, quirky residents, and their casual lifestyle. He’d hoped his kids would feel the comfort of Lobster Cove, too, and they’d enjoy themselves, moving at a slower pace than their busy city lives required.

  “Seth’s house is down that way.” He pointed to the side of the road as they passed a turn off. “He’s our closest neighbor.”

  Val turned her head.

  He knew she wouldn’t see Seth’s house through the thick trees. “Our place is at the end of the road.” He wondered why he felt the need to fill the silence.

  They emerged into a clearing where Val would get her first view of the cottage. He watched from the corner of his eye to see her reaction.

  Val’s eyes widened. She touched her fingers to her lips. “Oh my.” Her voice was slightly above a whisper.

  He smiled to himself. When he’d seen the cottage for the first time, he’d had a similar reaction. The Victorian-style house was two stories with a pointed gabled roof. The wood was painted blue-gray with white trim and shutters. Flowering bushes bordered the walkway and a large porch wrapped around the entire house. The cottage sat on a point, jutting out into the Atlantic, with magnificent ocean views in all directions. Couthy Cottage looked like a postcard.

  “It’s so beautiful.” Val breathed out a sigh. She opened the car door and stepped out.

  Nathaniel walked around the car to join her and allowed his muscles to relax. He hadn’t realized how anxious he’d been for her approval, and the expression on her face left no doubt that she was awestruck. For a moment, he enjoyed the feeling of impressing her. Heaven knew he’d never managed to do it with Clara. His late wife would have hated everything about this place. No shopping, no room service.

  The cottage door opened, and Ruby ran down the stairs, throwing her arms around Val’s waist.

  Val flinched.

  Nathaniel put his hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Be gentle, Ruby. Remember Val’s still hurting from yesterday.” The grateful look his new nanny gave him made his heart trip ever so slightly. He must still be relishing her delight at seeing the cottage.

  “Come inside.” Ruby pulled Val toward the house. “Come see your bedroom. It’s right by mine.”

  Mrs. Spencer stepped onto the porch with Finn. She was a tall, thin woman who wore her hair pulled back into a tight bun.

  Nathaniel introduced the women.

  “How do ya do, ma’am?” Val held out her hand.

  The housekeeper’s gaze traveled over Val’s ensemble as the women shook hands. Her brow rose a tick, but she refrained from comment.

  Finn held up his arms, and Val lifted the boy onto her hip. She pointed to a brass plaque next to the front door. “Couthy Cottage?”

  “A lot of the old houses around here have Scottish names,” Nathaniel said. “The owner told me Couthy means cozy—or pleasant. Seth’s is called Hyne House. I think it means something like haven.”

  Val followed Ruby through the house.

  “This is where we watch movies, and we eat in the kitchen. Daddy’s room is down the hall by his office, and our bedrooms are upstairs,” Ruby chattered as she pulled Val
from room to room.

  His daughter seemed more excited than he’d seen her about anything for months. Nathaniel waited in the entryway until Val and the children came back down the stairs. “I hope the accommodations are acceptable?” He pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

  Val’s gaze traveled around the space and when he spoke, she blinked. “Sir? Oh, sorry, I…yes, everything is wonderful. Couthy Cottage, it’s…” Her gaze met his.

  Her soft smile tugged at his heart again.

  “I love it.” She came of her haze and straightened her shoulders. “Mr. Cavanaugh, you said something about lessons?”

  “I already did my lessons for today.” Ruby still held onto Val’s hand. “I want to play outside.”

  Nathaniel nodded in response to Val’s questioning expression. “I’ll show you their workbooks tomorrow.”

  She turned to the kids and held out her arms, grinning. “All right, Miss Ruby, Captain Finn. Y’all lead the way.” She left with the children through the back door, promising to return at lunch time.

  Nathaniel walked down the hallway to his office and sat back in the chair behind the desk, opening his laptop and feeling at once relieved that he could get some work done undisturbed, and a little guilty that he had so readily given over his children to the care of a stranger. The worry that he wasn’t feeling more nervous grew, and he finally pushed back from his desk.

  He walked through the kitchen and out on the back porch, leaning against the wooden railing as he watched Val, Ruby, and Finn walk carefully down the path to the beach. The small cove beneath the cottage was secluded, but the beach wasn’t a sandy, no-shoes area. Rocks and shells, seaweed, as well as driftwood and other flotsam the waves saw fit to dislodge covered the shore.

  Further around the cove were tide pools that he hoped to take the children to explore but still hadn’t gotten around to with all the work piling up.